A WEDDING DAY

While scanning my files I came across this interesting article. It happened a long time ago, March 7, 1992 to be exact. It was truly a day to remember. I was scheduled to sponsor a wedding at St. Joseph Parish Church, Las Piñas, where the world famous "Bamboo organ" is kept for centuries. The invitation says it starts at 10:30 a.m, but my wife had appointments with some clients at 8:00 a.m. at the Magallanes Supermart. To save gasoline we agreed that together with my daughter, Brinna who was joining me to the wedding, we would all go together, drop Terry at Magallanes then the two of us would proceed to Las Piñas.

As expected we arrived long before 9:00 a.m., about two hours ahead of schedule. I told my daughter that one good principle to keep in mind when there is an important appointment is that, "It is better three hours too soon than one minute too late". So we killed time and a poolice man helped us crossed the street. I was about to praise him to the high heavens for being so different until I realized that he left his post and followed us for quite a time obviously waiting for "lagay".

At around 10:00 a.m. another group of wedding entourage with golden motif came (our motif was red) but the ceremony was not started even when their scheduled time was long over. I was restless and sort of beginning to feel irritated specially when someone told me that our true schedule was 11:00 a.m. but it was only printed as 10:30 a.m. in the invitation to give allowance to "filipino time" practitioners.

But my temper was somehow appease when a rumor got around that the golden-motifed wedding was canceled because on the way to the church the groom was apprehended by the police. He turned out to be an addict supposedly inside the rehabilitation center. It was a tragic event just like in the movie.

Before our own schedule was started the color motif inside the church was changed to red. Meantime one of the eight lady sponsors, visibly the most bejeweled, approached me introducing herself as the former Ana de Taza. It took me quite a time to recognize her for she has grown too fat and a bit too dark compared to her pleasant look during her younger days.

Our wedding entourage started late and there was no one smart enough to make an orderly procession. I personally knew only the bride who happened to be one of the teachers of one of my children way back at De La Salle Zobel at Ayala Alabang where all my children studied. Most of the other sponsors were police officers except for a certain Dr. Mendoza who was a Doctor of Education.

The reception that followed was held at the covered backyard of the groom. It was a small space decorated with white and red creep papers. A typical Pilipino Banquet with Lechon, fried chicken, minudo,embutido, morcon, escabeche, shrimps, fruit salad and leche plan. The presidential table was surrounded by all the folks in the neighborhood. My daughter joined the daughter and niece of Ana de Taza-Molina. It was a happy traditional wedding party.

On our way home my daughter was nagging me if I courted Ana when I was young. I said no, as I couldn't remember having courted her or even having crush on her. She was a happy companion then together with her other co-teachers from General Aguinaldo but I don't remember getting romantically interested in her. She probably confused that I liked her when we serenaded her once with my friends. But of course it is interesting to discover now that she entertained such an "illusion".

Now I understand why she kept on looking and talking to me before the wedding started. Finally she told her daughter that I courted her and her daughter in turn told my daughter about it, hence the reason for the nagging. The new generation must have been greatly entertained.

At 5:00 pm. Brinna and I went to San Agustin Church to attend another wedding. The reception was held at the poolside of "Imelda's" extravagant Coconut Palace. It was a beautiful place and the banquet was too elegant and classy. The food served by buffet style was simple but the presentation of the wedding program was very grand, complete with singer, dancer, violin band and formal presentation of all the wedding participants to the delight of the guests. Even the release of the white doves and final toast of the couple with their guests were dramatically romantic.

Reviewing the three weddings before retiring at night my mind kept on deciphering what could have happened to the bride of the groom who was apprehended by the police, not to mention the complications that involved so many people afterwards. I was trying to make my own analysis that probably the two were so much in love with each other, the very reason why the wedding was planned in the first place. Probably a very close relative of the bride counldn't swallow and addict groom and probably that close relative made negotiations for the apprehension of the groom just to stop the wedding.

But it is also probable that that close relative was the very cause of the groom's becoming an addict.Well, there are hundreds of possibilities and I stopped thinking at that point. Probably, I will never know the outcome of the tragic story but I presume that probably they also chose the day March 7, 1992 for the marriage day because like the two other wedding they also believed in good days for nuptials.